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Organisation for Proletarian Leisure of Tabi'atstan
The Organisation for Proletarian Leisure of Tabi’atstan (often abbreviated to OPLT, full name Organisation for Proletarian Leisure and Tourism of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Tabi’atstan) is a state-operated leisure organisation in Tabi'atstan. It is often known informally as the "Ministry of Rest", and indeed like an actual ministry it falls under the State Council of Ministers of Tabi'atstan and has its own food supply chain, taxi fleets, ships, gas stations, and railway cars rather than having to interact with other agencies for such services. The OPLT is sometimes associated with Sayyrejee (from Farsi "سیاح خارجی" or "Sayyah-e Rejee", meaning "foreign tourist"), the official Tabi'atstani state-owned travel agency that deals with foreign travellers wishing to enter Tabi'atstan. History The OPLT was founded in February 1930 under the Second Five-Year Plan, but did not begin major operations until 1936 due to an emphasis on expanding heavy industry and later the USSRT-Japanese War. In late 1939, the Botteh beach resort was completed near Payegar in Southern Tabi'atstan province. It was a massive complex capable of housing 20,000 guests and designed to be converted into a military hospital during wartime. After the end of the Second World War, the OPLT built four more large resorts in the style of Botteh. In 1960, administrative authority over the vast majority of health spas in Tabi'atstan was finally transferred from the Ministry of Health to the OPLT, although a conference in the mid 1950s reaffirmed that those with genuine health needs would continue to have priority in the allocation of holidays to such spas. Also around the 1950s, the OPLT decided to put a new focus on cultural and historical appreciation, with the rise of such cultural activities also reflecting an increasing interest among intellectuals in traditional Tabi'atstani ethnic traditions. The increasing availability of record players also provided a boost to musical appreciation. Around the late 1950s and early 1960s, the art book industry was expanded with the help of the growing Tabi'atstani economy, allowing more people to have the opportunity to be acquainted with art even if they did not have the chance to visit museums or art exhibitions in major cities. During the 1960s, mineral spa resorts were upgraded with new technologies such as sunlamps, oxygen therapy, and X-ray for diagnostics, and by the late 1960s, radioisotope therapy, electrophysiology, and other forms of nuclear medicine were beginning to be used. In the early 1970s, some sanatoria also began offering psychiatric electrotherapy to patients, as well as immunological and allergy treatments. By the end of the 1970s, postoperative cardiac care was also being provided in some Tabi'atstani sanatoria. Aside from new medical equipment, dictaphones became prevalent, helping doctors increase the amount of time available for patient care. By the 1970s, the Tabi'atstani leisure and vacationing system had grown and become firmly established to the point that Tabi'atstani vacationers now demanded services such as barbers, shoe repair, and intercity telephone exchanges, tasty and varied meals with good service in culinary establishments, and better supplies of goods associated with vacations such as bathing suits and sunglasses. This reflected a shift in the view of vacations as a form of welfare benefit provided by the state to a leisure commodity purchased by a consumer. The state for its part attempted to expand the range of domestic destinations available to Tabi'atstani vacationers, trying to relieve congestion at popular areas such as major cities and beach resorts. Beginning in the late 1960s, new package tours were opened in the central and southeastern areas of Tabi'atstan, and tourist facilities in these areas were expanded. The government also pushed forward promotion of these areas in magazines and other forms of mass media, reducing coverage for more traditional vacationing destinations. In the mid 1970s, the OPLT began to consider the idea that too much emphasis was being put on medical treatment in Tabi'atstani vacation facilities, with various OPLT officials voicing their opinions that contemporary workers had new needs and demands different to those of the 1930s. As usual, there were arguments over balancing the need for educational and cultural experiences and events simply for fun and enjoyment, due to the view that vacations should not only be a reward for hard work but also an opportunity for self development. By the late 1970s, even tourists in provincial areas had the chance to listen to local philharmonic orchestras, and could also attend lectures on renowned composers and artists. Activities The OPLT often works with the Ministry of Education when organising local and museum excursions. Organisation and personnel Staffing requirements for Tabi'atstani health resorts are high, with the ratio between staff and patients in the 1960s being 250 to 350. Tabi'atstani vacation establishments do not follow the old Soviet model which made it extremely difficult for parents to go on vacation with their children or occasionally for married couples to vacation together. Married couples can rearrange their vacation times themselves so that even if they work in different enterprises, they may vacation together. Societal effects See also *Mass organisations in Tabi'atstan Category:Tabi'atstan Category:Tabi'atstani culture